Zephyranthes morrisclintae Description Zephyranthes is a genus of about seventy species in the Amaryllis family. Common names for species in this genus include fairy lily, rainflower, zephyr lily, magic lily and rain lily. The name Zephyranthes comes from Zephyrus, the god of the west wind in Greek mythology. Therefore, one translation for a common name [...]
Taraxacum officinale A trailing or mat-forming evergreen shrub growing to a height of two to four metres, it bears heads of pink or orange posy-like flowers, each with a yellow eye. A native to the Americas, it is considered a noxious weed in northern Australia , while some species are cultivated in the southern regions. [...]
Oxalis debilis Description Native to South America, Oxalis is an introduced weed in Australia, growing well in tropical Australia. It is commonly termed ‘invasive.’ In Europe, this species of Oxalis is known as wood sorrel, but more generally in Australia the incorrect name of Pink Shamrock is used. They are familiar to most people [...]
Macaranga tanarius Description This tree belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae, which contains more than a thousand different varieties. All varieties have an unpleasant milky sap in common, which is usually poisonous. It has flower-like arrangements, which are not flowers at all, but bracts or modified leaves surrounding a group of tiny, simple flowers. Both male [...]
Taraxacum officinale This plant, despised as a weed, is one of nature’s greatest healing aids, and is a medicine chest in itself. It is a hardy perennial, and grows wild nearly everywhere. It has a fleshy root and a straight stem up to 20cm tall that rises precariously above the ground, and is topped by [...]
Commelina diffusa Description A soft-stemmed creeper, it is also known as Scurvy Weed because the early settlers used it to ward off scurvy. Today it is commonly known as a weed in the gardens of tropical and subtropical areas; it is found also on creek banks and in moist forests, particularly on the edge, as [...]
Omalanthus populifolius Description A fast-growing rainforest tree, belonging to the family, Euphorbiaceae, it grows to a height of 2–5m and 2–4m wide. It has leaves shaped like hearts. As they are dying, the leaves turn red, thus the name. They make a good shade tree and are tolerant of low light conditions. The minute, cream [...]